


In Repose

by purewanderlust



Series: Interaction 'Verse [1]
Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Slash, Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-07
Updated: 2013-06-07
Packaged: 2017-12-14 05:18:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/833196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/purewanderlust/pseuds/purewanderlust
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Doctor, Lieutenant Uhura here, we are still unable to locate the captain.”<br/>McCoy frowned. “Unable to locate...what do you mean, ‘unable to locate’?”<br/>“He was supposed to report to the bridge for alpha shift, sir, and he hasn’t shown up.” </p><p>Jim is having some trouble after the events of STID...Bones tries to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	In Repose

**Author's Note:**

> I woke up the other morning, with the fully formed mental image of Jim Kirk passed out surrounded by all his paperwork, with his communicator chriping at him. This is the final result.

It was Lieutenant Uhura, of all people, who brought the matter to his attention. Leonard wasn't sure what it said about him as either a doctor or a best friend, if someone who'd just got over hating Jim noticed there was something wrong before McCoy did. It wouldn't be the first time Leonard had fucked up and he doubted it would be the last, especially considering one James Kirk's apparent inability to hold a grudge against him.

But he was getting ahead of himself. The whole thing had started a year after the Enterprise had gone careening through the atmosphere, after Marcus had attacked his own fleet and then been violently murdered. After Khan.

One year after Jim--stupid, selfless, wonderful Jim Kirk had given his life to save his crew...and then been brought back by miracle blood of the very man who'd caused his death.

Suffice it to say, it had been a very busy year. Jim had, much to his disgruntlement, had to go through rehab, and therapy before he could be reestablished as captain. McCoy and (to the doctor's utter shock) Spock had spent the better part of the time covering up what had happened with Jim and exactly what Khan's blood could do. They weren't stupid; no way Marcus could've gone that alone. Leonard and Spock had made damn sure Jim wouldn't have to either, the Vulcan going so far as to lie in his reports to protect the captain's safety. If the action increased McCoy's respect for the first officer, well, nobody needed to know, right?

The Enterprise was rechristened and her crew was sent off into space for a five year exploratory venture. McCoy didn't really like the idea of being in space for so long, but he was countered by Jim's boundless enthusiasm for the idea.

"C'mon, Bones, admit it," he would wheedle, "This is the coolest thing ever." The captain was so excited about the adventure that one was hard pressed to find him anywhere but the bridge, even when his shift was over. Jim threw himself into captaining with a single minded determination and that bright smile that made Leonard's heart stutter-stop when directed his way.

McCoy might've picked up on what was happening sooner if it weren't for his unfortunate fault to see Jim as a little more than just a man, like the rest of them. But he’d always had a bit of a blind spot for James Kirk.

 _“Doctor McCoy?”_ Leonard was administering a hypospray to a particularly petulant Andorian when Uhura’s voice came over the intercom in sickbay. He tossed the hypo into the recycler and shooed the girl from the biobed she’d been perched on.

“This is McCoy.”

 _“Doctor, have you seen the Captain lately?”_ Uhura’s voice may’ve sounded a little more tense than usual, but Leonard didn’t notice, as the sickbay doors slid open just then to reveal Scotty half-carrying one of his boys from engineering, the blood spatter on his neck indistinguishable in color from his uniform.

“Negative, Lieutenant.” He answered distractedly, hurrying over to divest the chief engineer of his burden, Chapel at his side. He was momentarily, blissfully happy that she had transferred back to the Enterprise in time for the five year mission. God knew, he needed more sensible people in his sickbay. “A bit busy down here right now.”

Uhura made a noncommittal noise and closed the commlink, but McCoy hardly noticed, going for the dermal regenerator while Chapel eased the poor boy down onto the nearest biobed.

It was a good hour before it was brought to his attention again. Sickbay had gone quiet and Leonard was just considering heading back to his office for some lunch when the intercom whistled loudly, right at his ear. He cursed under his breath and switched it on. “This is McCoy.”

_“Doctor, Lieutenant Uhura here, we are still unable to locate the captain.”_

McCoy frowned. “Unable to locate...what do you mean, ‘unable to locate’?”

 _“He was supposed to report to the bridge for alpha shift, sir, and he hasn’t shown up.”_ The doctor cast a glance at the chronometer and confirmed they were well into beta shift at this point. _“Bridge crew reports he was here until delta shift yesterday, but scanners are down so we’ve had people out looking for him on foot. Would you mind--?”_

“I’ll go down to his quarters and see if he’s there.” Leonard interjected. “Thank you, Lieutenant.”

Thankfully, his shift was almost over anyway, so he passed off to M’Benga and headed out, moving quickly down the well-worn path to the captain’s quarters. He didn’t even bother knocking when he got there, just punched in his medical override code and stepped through the door as soon as it slid open.

“Jim?” he called, moving further into the dimly lit room. He rounded the corner and there he was. Kirk was curled up on top of the blankets, a PADD clutched loosely in his hand and another two next to him. His communicator was lying next to his head, chirping every few moments, but Jim didn’t seem to hear it. He was still dressed in his uniform from the night before, if the rumpled state of his clothes was any indication, and his blond hair was flat against the side of his face.

The kid looked utterly exhausted, dark circles under his eyes and McCoy abruptly felt a wave of guilt. It was the first time since their mission had started that he could remember Jim sleeping. The realization that Jim had probably been intentionally running himself ragged hit him like a punch. He dropped to one knee on the edge of the bed and picked up the communicator, silencing it and sitting it on the bedside table. The two extra PADDs followed in close suit and then McCoy set about taking off Jim’s boots.

The captain didn’t revive until Leonard tried to prise the third PADD out of his hands. Jim batted at him sleepily with his other hand, fingers tightening around the PADD. “No, Bones, m’working.” he mumbled.

“Like hell you are,” McCoy muttered. “When’s the last time you got some decent sleep?” He didn’t really expect an answer, but he’d forgotten how easy Kirk was when he was tired.

“Prolly not since Pike died,” Jim said, his words barely a sigh. “Then the radiation chamber...”

Leonard’s heart twisted painfully in his chest. “Shh, Jim, it’s alright.” He finally won the battle for the PADD and set it aside with the others. “C’mon, let’s just get out of these clothes and I’ll leave you alone.”

Jim smirked without opening his eyes. “I always knew you wanted to get in my pants, Bones.”

McCoy was violently glad the kid seemed too exhausted to look at him because he could feel his face turning scarlet. He tugged the gold command shirt off over his friend’s head and cast it blindly away before fumbling for the buttons of his pants. “Yeah, right. Mind that ego, Captain Innuendo.” He finally managed to get the pants undone and tugged them off without preamble, leaving Jim in his black undershirt and boxers. Leonard tugged the comforter out from under Kirk’s unresisting form and lay it over him before finally getting to his feet. “I’m going to put you on medical leave for the next 48 hours, Jim. Come see me in sickbay before you go back to the bridge.”

He turned away, fully intending to leave the captain to sleep, but quicker than a whip, Jim’s hand lashed out and caught him around the wrist.

“Don’t leave me, Bones.” he said, and his voice was so heartbreaking that Leonard had to turn back. Jim’s eyes were open now, wide and so blue, Cherenkov blue, and was he really going to start thinking about radiation right now?

“You need sleep, kid,” Leonard answered instead of cracking under the sad, pleading look in his friend’s eyes.

“Can’t.” Jim whispered. “How’m I supposed to know if I’m only sleeping or if I’ve died?”

McCoy’s legs felt like they couldn’t support him anymore, so he sank back down onto the bed next to Jim’s hip. “Is that why you’ve been running yourself so hard?” he asked, “You don’t want to sleep?”

“I’m scared,” Jim said honestly, his grip on Leonard’s wrist tightening. “I just keep remembering--”

“Alright, now, that’s enough.” McCoy cut him off. “Budge over.”

“...what?”

Leonard pushed him a little and Jim scooted, looking bewildered. “That’s it. I’m gonna sleep with you, okay? I’m a doctor, so I’ll be able to make sure you’re still alive while you sleep, a’ight?” He settled down next to the captain, lying on his side so he could look into those blue, blue eyes.

Jim stared at him. The moment stretched out for eternity, long enough for McCoy to wonder if he’d made a dumb mistake and was about to get kicked onto the floor, and then Jim’s face cracked open into a broad smile.

“You’re gonna sleep with me, huh?” Kirk purred, the asshole. Leonard put his hand in the middle of his face and shoved, hard. “Ow! Bones!”

“Just shut the fuck up and go to sleep, Jim.” he growled, scooting closer and wrapping an arm around Jim’s waist. “Doctor’s orders.”

Jim blinked up at him again, and this time his expression was so unbearably grateful that Leonard had to look away. “Sir, yes, sir.”

If the doctor forgot to tell Uhura he’d found the captain, it was rectified only thirty minutes later, when the first office found them curled around each other and fast asleep.

And if Spock allowed himself the tiniest of smiles as he backed out of the captain’s quarters and resealed the door, well, nobody had to know, right?


End file.
